Iron Device (CEO Ki-Tae Park), a fabless semiconductor company specializing in mixed-signal System-on-Chip (SoC), announced that it has been selected as a new participant in the "K-Humanoid Alliance," hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and operated by the Korea Institute of Technology Evaluation and Planning (KEIT). Iron Device plans to develop power control system semiconductors for operating humanoid robot actuators and secure core IP.
The K-Humanoid Alliance is a government-led project launched with the goal of becoming the world's leading humanoid powerhouse by 2030. Launched in April under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the alliance includes the government, major domestic robotics companies, leading universities, and research institutes. Following the recruitment of new companies in key sectors, Iron Device was added as a robot parts supplier.
Robot manufacturers and component manufacturers are collaborating to develop humanoid hardware (HW) with the world's highest specifications. By 2028, they plan to produce high-spec robots that meet the following criteria: light weight (down from 60 kg), high degrees of freedom (up from 50), high payload (up from 20 kg), and fast movement speed (up from 2.5 m/s). To achieve this, robot manufacturers and component companies will collaborate to develop sensors and actuators, key components for robots. In particular, they will focus on developing key components such as force/torque sensors capable of precise object manipulation, tactile sensors for hand sensation, and lightweight, flexible actuators.
To achieve human-like movements, humanoid robots must integrate approximately 40 servo motors and control systems across various body parts, including the hands, neck, arms, and legs. However, the tight space between each joint of a humanoid robot necessitates integrating all of the motors, reducers, and sensors onto a printed circuit board (PCB) measuring 5 to 10 cm in diameter. To address this issue, utilizing compound semiconductor power devices, which boast faster switching speeds, superior power efficiency, and higher durability than conventional silicon-based devices, is far more effective. This allows for higher output and more stable motor control in a confined space.
Iron Device possesses core technologies for designing high-performance isolated and non-isolated gate drivers and current-sense amplifiers specialized for driving compound semiconductor power devices such as GaN (gallium nitride) and SiC (silicon carbide). In particular, utilizing foundational technologies that enable miniaturization of packages and the world's first diagonal layout technology that enables mounting on single-layer substrates, the company anticipates contributing to a reduction in the overall system size and cost of humanoid robots.
With its participation in the K-Humanoid Alliance, Iron Device plans to pursue the application of its previously developed high-performance gate driver for driving GaN power devices. Specifically, the company plans to collaborate with specialized packaging companies to develop a 100V-class GaN power device gate driver IC suitable for humanoid robot drive systems, as well as to advance ultra-small packaging measuring just 5.0mm x 5.0mm for integrated power devices. This will minimize unnecessary parasitic inductance and heat generation between the gate driver and GaN power device, maximizing robot actuator performance.
Iron Device CEO Park Ki-tae said, “The advantages of compound semiconductor devices, such as low loss, high-speed switching, and high power density, will present new solutions to the rapidly growing humanoid robot industry.” He added, “Based on this collaboration, we will contribute to the localization of core semiconductor technologies for humanoid robots and help create a domestic robot industry ecosystem.”
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